He went on, wandering through Fielding House, noting that painting had begun, and a new length of wallpaper had been put up along the way to the bedrooms and school room. Again, he nodded, pleased with what was changing.
Down the hallway, he heard the familiar clamor of voices he had begun growing accustomed to as he oversaw the work being done on the workhouse. But now, he had nothing to oversee, and he knew he was there purely for his own indulgence.
Moving toward the school room on silent feet, Lucien finally heard her voice, and something loosened in his chest. Peculiarly, he realized that he had been hoping that, finally, Elinor would be present.
As he slid up to the school room door, he saw the usual children. Toby, Billy, Angelica, all sat at the front, their faces turned up towards their tutor in rapt attention, so Lucien let his own focus stray to that tutor, too.
And there she was, her blonde hair free from any societal binds, falling freely over her shoulders as she gestured, speaking. Through the closed door, he could not hear exactly everything she said, but he could clearly see the passion on her face. It shined through her smile, lit up the blue of her eyes, and he could see how she thoroughly loved what she did in Fielding House.
However she had come to get this role, she had taken it on, not out of obligation, but out oflove.
True, sheer love.
It almost hurt to look at.
He leaned in closer, daring to nudge the door open just an inch, not enough to disturb the children nor Elinor herself, but enough to hear what was going on while he remained inconspicuous.
“Now, Billy, do you remember what constellation I taught you the other week?”
“No, Lady Elinor,” he answered honestly. “I do not care for stars. Angelica does, though.”
At that, Elinor gave a chuckle. “The stars are magical, Billy. They can tell you a lot.”
“Yes, but I do not see them a lot, so how will I know what they are telling me?”
At that, Lucien saw a pang of pain flash over Elinor’s face as if she realized her privilege of seeing something as simple as stars when these children had not because of working late hours or sleeping off a long working day.
I will banish that,he thought.I will get rid of any restrictions these children face. They should experience joy instead of only hard, awful labor.
“Then, how about I take you all out one night to see the stars?” Elinor mused. “You all deserve to see a pretty, starry night at least once, and it would be an honor to orchestrate that.”
“What does orchestrate mean?” Toby piped up.
“It means I will make it happen,” Elinor swore, giving him a soft smile.
Suddenly, Lucien was gripped with a thought.
I want to be part of such an experience. I do not want her to have to do it alone. She already risks so much by coming here to tutor the children.
So, he would discuss it with her at another time. For now, though, Lucien leaned just outside of the doorframe, watching her.
“Now, Billy, the constellation was Orion’s Belt. It is one of the most notable constellations, and its stars shine very brightly.”
“Giants?” Billy echoed, his head jerking up in excitement. “I want to be a giant!”
“Not quite,” Elinor laughed gently. “They are brighter than most stars, and some are thought to be much larger than the sun. They burn very fiercely, though we cannot approach them.”
“Can I capture one?” Angelica piped up.
“No,” Elinor told her, shaking her head. “Nobody can, and if they did, it would be quite … dreadful, really. Stars are meant to be admired from afar; that is where their magic lies.”
“Is magic real, Lady Elinor?” Toby asked innocently.
Lucien found himself smiling as Elinor took a seat, clearly pondering the question. Her eyes glazed over as she thought before they snapped right back into focus. Still, she did not notice him, and although Lucien had spent his dukedom making sure hewasnoticed, he was glad he had not been seen. He was enjoying witnessing Elinor when nobody but children noticed her.
She was different like this, less tense, more open, moreherself, even if Lucien did not entirely know what that meant yet.
What he did know was that she clearly had an affinity for this run-down school room far more than she did for ballrooms, where she ought to belong. But, no,herewas where she belonged, and that was partially why he had become so focused on the renovations. It was for the women and children, yes, but he also wanted to deliver a deserving classroom to a tutor who clearly loved what she did.